


Exceptional Delivery

by YaraVannor



Series: Haikyuu!! TRON AU [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!, Tron (Movies)
Genre: Action, Dorks in Love, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Haikyuu! AU, M/M, Poor Karasuno, Post-Tron: Legacy, Rich Aoba Johsai, Scars, Torture, Tron: Legacy AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:02:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25408864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaraVannor/pseuds/YaraVannor
Summary: We emerged from nothing and built our own world.The elite dominate the sky while we endure on the ground.It’s far from perfect but we survive.We are the new generation of programs.We live. We feel. We are not human.But we could be.First piece of a collection of TRON!AU Haikyuu!! one shots.
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Series: Haikyuu!! TRON AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1840288
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

The orange glow from his suit was reflecting in the puddles beneath his feet as the small figure of Nishinoya Yuu glanced around the corner of the skyscraper. The club, which was located in its penthouse, was booming its loud techno music across the sky and Noya started unconsciously tapping his foot to the fast beat. He could feel himself getting distracted and quickly shook his head to refocus on the task ahead: wait until the Transporter’s packed up the goods and then SWOOSH climb onto it, cut his way inside, snatch the core and BAAM! do a backflip back onto the street (a phrasing which had been kindly offered by Tanaka earlier that day).  
It’s not like Noya hadn’t done it before but something felt off that day. As if the other programs were just waiting for him to step into a trap. He didn’t have the luxury of changing his mind though, because the Transporter’s engine started up and the massive vehicle exited its garage. Noya checked his surroundings one last time before sprinting across the wet Grid towards his target. He always forgot how fast these things could get.  
They must be in a hurry.  
He slid over a parked light cycle and managed to sidestep a yellow lit program walking on the curb just before he propelled himself into the air, grabbed onto the Transporter’s ledge and planted his feet on the metal surface. Thankfully, his small body mass kept the vehicle from shaking too much and judging from lack of reaction from the driver, he figured he was in the clear. A curt beep in his right ear let him know his friends were officially monitoring his position.  
_‘Nishinoya, you copy?’_  
He always thought it was hilarious how authoritative Asahi tried to sound. He decided not to comment on it, however, knowing it would only leave the other flustered.  
‘I copy.’  
_‘How’s it looking out there? Any complications?’_  
Noya opened his mouth to answer but quickly shut it as a Recognizer flew overhead and forced him to press his body closer to the side of the truck in order to stay hidden. Luckily, it carried on towards its destination and didn’t pay the program any attention.  
_‘Noya?’_  
Asahi’s voice was already marked by its usual nervous tremor when the other failed to answer. He quietly huffed to himself.  
‘Nope. All good here, Asahi-san. So, you cut the worrying. Have some faith in your Libero.’  
Him and Tanaka had come up with the term: since Nishinoya was the one who most actively supported their rather poor neighbourhood by “stealing” (they preferred “re-claiming”) from the brass, it seemed only fitting to give him a suitable heroic title. The Libero who would free the underprivileged programs from the elite’s oppressive regime and restore balance to the Grid. It served more as a distraction to the people if anything else but Noya still loved his title and carried it with pride. Asahi, who felt like he had unintentionally offended the said pride was struggling on the other end of the connection to find a respectable apology.  
_‘Wha--? No, no, I didn’t—I would never—I’m so sorry Nishinoya-san, I—’_ , he stuttered while Tanaka’s roaring laughter resounded in the background. He grinned and reached for the orange glowing launch baton that was attached to his leg while his companions continued fussing through his earpiece. He eyed Tsukishima’s invention with furrowed brows before pulling it apart with his free hand and his teeth to reveal the device which formed itself around the stick in his hand. It was still in its “developmental phase” as Tsukki had called it so Noya was somewhat sceptical of its efficiency. As long as it provided him a faster way inside, he was all in.  
‘You guys. This thing better work.’  
He knew Tsukki was their most talented technician and he wouldn’t want to question his intellect but the last thing he wanted was to accidentally blow up the Transporter and himself in the process because they had chosen him as their guinea-pig.  
He pressed his gloved hand to the Transporter’s boot and took a long breath (not that he needed too, considering his system didn’t need oxygen to function). Tsukki had told him to feel around for a spot where the machine wouldn’t be obstructed by anything on the inside, ergo, an area where small electrical pulses could not be felt through his fingers. At the desired place, he hooked the device onto the vehicle with the help of its inbuilt magnet. His finger hovered over the button for a few moments but after nodding to himself to restore his confidence he pressed the orange circle to ignite it. There was a quiet ticking sound and ‘clack’.  
Yes!  
Noya fist-bumped the air in excitement. Getting blown up would have to wait until another day. The device lit up in a bright orange glow and before the Libero had time to process it, a rectangular force field formed on the surface, creating a temporary window into the vehicle. Noya only wished Tanaka was there to see how awesome it looked.  
‘Tsukishima, you son of a gun…’  
_‘What was that? I heard him say my name.’_  
The technician’s flat voice joined the “conversation” but was quickly shooed away.  
_‘Hey, Tsukki, get back to work! How’s Noya gonna concentrate with everyone japing in his ear?’_  
_‘Like your japing isn’t obnoxious enough already…’_  
_‘What was that?!’_  
_‘Nothing.’_  
Said japing was respectfully ignored by the Libero because yes, it was pretty hard to focus on being stealthy when your teammates told each other knock-knock jokes through the ear piece. (Noya still lectured Tanaka about it until that day.)  
He tentatively stretched his arm through the force field. When he figured it was safe, he let the rest of his body follow suit. The Transporter was fairly big, allowing Noya to fully stand up and take in the room: the black walls were bare and apart from the machinery at the centre, the Transporter wasn't transporting many other goods. This one must have been too valuable to pair with ordinary deliveries. He admired the glowing core with sparkling eyes. It was pulsing so strongly with energy that the Libero’s suit started flickering. This was it. The one component they were missing to ensure a stable energy flow throughout the burrow. Muffled conversation could be heard from the driver up front but Noya was too fascinated to pay it any further attention. Only when he carefully lifted the core out of its shell, a piece of dialogue cut clearly through the vehicle.  
‘We might have hit something back there. Go check on the core, just to be sure.’

Noya’s eyes went wide as the barrier separating him from the enemy was pushed aside. Yet his troubles didn’t end there as the figure who stepped into the room was no ordinary program but the perfectly white stature of a mindless android.  
_They’re not even supposed to be in the public eye. How the hell did Seijoh get hold of one?_

The androids had only been around for a handful of cycles. It was a wonder that Karasuno had even caught wind of them, their manufacturing being all hush-hush and off the board. Not that the brass would share much with the common folk anyway, though. And now their latest off-the-books-monstrosity was staring the small Libero from Karasuno dead in the eye. Its artificial neurons didn’t require much calculation before deciding to launch itself at the trespassing intruder, who had managed to chuck the radiating cube back out onto the street. A motion which had thankfully gone unnoticed by his attacker. If he wasn’t going to have it, then neither were they.  
He successfully dodged its first attack by rolling to the side and reached a hand onto his back to grab his disc but the thing was back on its feet in no time and tackled Noya to the ground. Its massive hand was pressed against his skull, holding him firmly in place and the Libero couldn’t help but squirm under the enormous pressure. He faintly picked up the panicked words of the driver who was desperately trying to get a hold on the situation. Just before his vision went black from the pain, he heard Asahi’s concerned voice calling out his name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Bonus*  
> (Noya regaining consciousness and being dragged into the club)  
> Tanaka: Noya! Hey! You ok? What’s happening?!  
> Noya: …They’re – dragging me onto the dance floor…  
> Tanaka: Huh?! What the hell are you doing? This is no time for a dance off!


	2. Chapter 2

‘Iwa-chan…’, Oikawa breathed into the other’s ear as his body adjusted to his length. He wrapped his arm tighter around Iwaizumi’s back and let his right wander up into his dark hair. He still reacted strongly to his other half entering him and his shivering legs were proof that this time was no different. Iwaizumi took notice of his shaking limbs and leaned in closer until he was hovering over Oikawa’s lips. Despite his ever-growing lust, his voice was calm and coated with the slightest bit of worry.

‘Are you okay?’

The taller boy simply reached up and gently kissed the other’s parted lips. When he settled back onto the pillow, his eyes remaining shut, he offered Iwa a small nod. Iwaizumi rested their foreheads together and slowly started rocking his hips onto his lover’s quivering body. Even though their programming didn’t require any air, Oikawa’s breathing was becoming faster, with small moans escaping his mouth as Iwa gradually picked up the pace. His lover’s desperate sighs sent shivers down Iwaizumi’s spine: a sensation which was only amplified by Oikawa’s hand holding on tighter to his back and his other gently pulling on his hair. The pull on his scalp extracted a low groan from the back of Iwa’s throat. They held onto each other as closely as possible: the rocking of the hips became faster, the techno beat from the adjacent club faded into the background and they felt like they were in their own little bubble, with no club, no Grid there to cause them troubles.

The dark-haired boy let his cheek rest on Oikawa’s, which was wet from tears, and he took his time to breathe in his scent. He was more than grateful to whoever brought them into creation for having kept this human attribute: the sense of smell. His lover smelled like the perfume he put on every morning, like the drink he had downed earlier at the bar and he smelled like this indescribable musk which belonged to Tooru alone. He smelled like home.

Iwa’s movements were becoming faster as he reached towards the height of his lust but he made sure to stay ever so careful not to hurt his partner. Emotion was clouding his mind and he felt his own eyes welling up. He pulled away slightly to meet Oikawa’s heavy-lidded brown eyes which were filled with so much love and passion that it made Iwa’s heart ache. He loved Tooru so much it hurt.

They were hanging on each other’s lips, trading soft kisses until, with a final heartfelt moan, Oikawa buried his head in Iwa’s shoulder and wrapped his legs around his back. Iwa joined him soon after: his climax extracting a high-pitched whimper from his mouth before making him collapse heavily breathing onto Oikawa’s chest. He was glad no one else got to hear him like this. This show of vulnerability was only for Tooru’s ears. He had a reputation to uphold after all. To Iwa it sounded pathetic but little did he know that to Oikawa it was the sexiest sound he had ever heard.

Gradually, the grip on Iwaizumi’s hair loosened and the legs trapping him on the other’s body slowly returned to the mattress. Oikawa was taking shaky breaths in the attempt to calm down while Iwa let himself revel in the warmth of the other’s body for a little while longer. Just being connected to him in this way felt unbelievably comfortable. Eventually, he slowly pulled out and was granted another small whine from Tooru before settling fully on the other’s chest; his head slowly rising and falling with Oikawa’s now steady breathing.

They lay there for a while longer, before they became aware of the club’s thrumming beat again and Oikawa slowly got up to clean himself. Iwaizumi remained stretched out on his stomach, his head resting on his folded arms and watching Oikawa, who had put his white undergarment pants back on and was standing near the wall of windows looking out over the city. Thanks to their construction, the glass wall was only see-through from the inside, allowing a fantastic view over the Grid while maintaining the desired amount of privacy. The sky was dark as it was any other day and a steady down pour of rain had begun trickling onto the windows, almost lulling a sleepy Iwa into dreamland. But looking at his lover’s scarred back reminded him of more important matters at hand.

‘What’s the status on that delivery?’

Oikawa kept his back turned to the bed at the centre of the room and simply glanced over at the panel on the wall indicating the current time.

‘On its way to Kanjiro as we speak.’

The room became deafeningly quiet. So quiet that Tooru turned his head around to shoot his lover a suspicious glance.

‘What?’

Iwa simply raised a tired brow.

‘What “what”?’

‘That’s a “I want to complain but rather keep my mouth shut” silence.’

The other closed his eyes and let a smile rest on his face.

‘You already know what I’m gonna say anyway.’

The taller boy turned back to the window and let out a sigh.

‘And you know what my answer is.’

Iwaizumi was fighting the urge to bring up that old argument but the white streaks on Oikawa’s back were enough to let the anger bubble up in him again. Another beat of silence passed before he decided to make his move.

‘…We don’t need their support to survive. If we were to cut off any links tying us to them, we could—stop playing errand boy for the brass and finally create our own life.’

Oikawa put a hand on his hip and dropped his head with a low chuckle. He had known this would come up again eventually.

‘Your effort in trying to persuade me is as always most admirable.’

Iwa was feeling less tired by the second and sat up fully on the bed. He was not going to let him off easy this time.

‘You know we could make it out there. Build our own club, build our own arena, host games for us and not for them. We could be free.’

Tooru lifted his gaze onto the city towering before him.

‘Free’, he huffed humourlessly. ‘There’s no freedom on the Grid. Even those blinded by false power are still confined to this world.’

Iwa sighed. Of course, he knew where this stubbornness was coming from. Tooru was scared. Hell, so was he. Kanjiro controlled the entire Grid after all. But Iwa could never know just how terrified Oikawa must be of their ruthless government. He still remembered vividly every time he had to drag Tooru home with yet another scar to decorate his back. Their reports to Tekkan, one of the heads of Kanjiro, were obligatory and he did not react kindly to any mishaps or delayed deliveries. So, he had made it a habit to take his disk to Oikawa’s back anytime he had stepped even minutely out of line. And since anyone who could repair the damage was tight in Kanjiro’s grasp, the marks were doomed to plague him for many cycles to come. So, no, Iwaizumi could never truly know the fear Tooru felt every day. What he did know, however, was the blind rage building inside his gut when remembering the bastard had even dared to touch his lover. He was not going to let his own fear keep him from fighting for their freedom.

‘…But we could remake this world by our rules.’

Tooru turned away from the windows and slowly walked over to the bed; a smirk plastered on his face (one which Iwa knew was only there to cover up something else).

‘It sounds tempting I’ll give you that. Then again—’, he kept his hands folded behind his back and leaned down to Iwa’s lips, ‘you’ve always been a master in sweet-talking.’

He was about to close the gap when Iwaizumi backed away slightly with a serious expression on his face.

‘Promise me you’ll rethink it.’

Oikawa’s smile slightly faded as he considered the other’s request. This time Iwa let him capture his lips in a slow, loving kiss. When they pulled away, Tooru hovered over the other’s mouth, the mask now put aside and a sincere smile gracing his features.

‘Promise’, he whispered and was about to lean back in when a loud voice emerged from the other side of the door separating their private quarters from the club.

‘Sir! We have a situation.’

Oikawa didn’t move but instead rolled his eyes and put his showman mask back on as he addressed the guard.

‘How many times, Kuroba. If they don’t like our prices, they can enjoy their Iced Jiyuu elsewhere.’

Thinking that would have done the trick, he put his hand on Iwa’s chin to pull him closer again but Kuroba had other ideas.

‘Sir, I’m afraid you really need to see this.’

An exaggerated groan escaped the club master’s lips as he stepped away from the bed for good.

‘Seriously. What is it with this new-found secrecy, huh? What happened to saying it as it is? “Mr. Oikawa, two programs are frolicking in the VIP area” or “Mr. Oikawa, Mrs. Yamasato seems to have lost her husband, AGAIN – now where did I put the…’

His words trailed off as he searched the room for his Light Suit unit. Behind him, Iwaizumi had got up from the bed, picked up the white object and was casually strolling over to where Tooru was standing. Oikawa’s eyes went wide when a still very naked Iwa planted himself in front of him and put the unit on his chest, where the suit formed itself on his body only seconds later. A smirk tugged at Tooru’s lips as he did his best not to look over the other’s perfectly sculpted body. He had to clear his throat to get his thoughts back in order.

‘You know, as much as I would love to see the fancy folk react to your bare ass –’

It was Iwaizumi’s turn to smile.

‘—I do think it would be best if you suit up as well.’

‘Nope.’ Iwa playfully pushed a finger against the other’s chest and walked over to a table which he leaned himself against and regarded Tooru with a cheeky smile.

‘You can go and deal with this problem on your own because I am officially on my break.’

An amused chuckle escaped Oikawa’s lips.

‘Oh yeah? And what would you call the last six millicycles?’ (1 hour and a bit)

‘Paid overtime?’

Tooru’s heartfelt laugh echoed through the quarters and Iwaizumi couldn’t help but join in. Their banter, however, was interrupted by a commotion in the club: customers were complaining and shouting in what sounded like general discontent. Their gazes moved to the door.

‘What do you say we extend that overtime by another millicycle?’

Iwaizumi had already grabbed his own Light Suit unit and hummed in response as both made their way back into civilisation.


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing they noticed were four of Aoba Johsai’s guards standing in the middle of the dance floor surrounding an orange-lit program sitting on his knees with his hands tied behind his back. The strangely warm colour screamed against the aqua and white club and its customers. An instant fury started burning in Oikawa’s chest: how could his men have dragged such a low-life into his club? He managed to hide it well, though, for the customer’s sake. Iwaizumi, however, couldn’t be fooled by his nonchalance and expected the worst. He knew all too well how unpleasant Tooru could be when he was angry.

They made their way down from the balcony overlooking the club and Oikawa somehow managed to put a beaming smile on his face as he reassured concerned programs left and right. Once he was close enough to the guard who had alerted him before he hissed: ‘Do you have a death wish, Kuroba?’

The guard did his best to stand his ground against the club master’s pressuring gaze and lifted his head up high.

‘I’m sorry, sir but the machine was already half-way into the room before we spotted it.’

Oikawa eyed the white android who had a firm grip on the program’s neck and was forcing his gaze to the ground. It was designed to deal with disturbances and alert its master, so, in theory it had done everything right. A pity that the practice was often so very different. Tooru shot a glance over his shoulder to Iwaizumi, who instantly understood and turned his attention to the gawking customers.

‘Alright, folks. Nothing to see here. Just a minor disturbance. We do have to ask you to vacate the premise until further notice.’

There were further noises of discontent but thankfully Yahaba, Kindaichi and Kunimi had quickly caught on and started ushering people towards the exits, as well as the DJ who decided to cut the music and leave them in silence. Meanwhile, Oikawa was still staring at the orange program with a void look on his face. Only once the last person was out of the room did he open his mouth again.

‘Lift up his head’, he said to the android who didn’t fuss about and complied to his master’s orders. Brown, chocolate eyes met cat-like orbs. Noya’s gaze was stern and unwavering: he wasn’t scared of the Grand King up in his white castle looking down at people like him. Oikawa admired his guts but hated him even more for his audacity to steal from him.

‘I gotta say, I’m a little disappointed. Cycle after cycle some minor delivery goes missing and all I hear is “terrifying cat burglar” here, “monster of the Grid” there.’ He trailed off for a second to cock his head to the side and eye the other’s form from head to toe with a pitiful expression on his face.

‘Not so big now, are you, Libero-chan?’

Noya held his tongue and the mockful gaze persistently and it was starting to get on Oikawa’s nerves. He bit his cheek to keep his cool and turned his head towards Kuroba.

‘Alright, then, where is it?’

The guard stayed quiet and started fidgeting with the staff in his hand.

‘Kuro-chan you do have to open your mouth to speak.’

‘I—we, uh…we don’t know where it is, sir.’

Even Iwa flinched at the cold expression on Oikawa’s face.

‘…what?’ His voice was deadly quiet.

‘We searched him but he doesn’t have it on him. The Transporter was empty as well.’

Oikawa started to visibly breathe faster. (A painfully annoying human habit.) Iwaizumi would be lying if he said he felt any more at ease than his partner. This was bad. Iwa could only imagine what marks Tekkan would leave on Oikawa’s body if that core actually went missing. Tooru stood still for a while; Kuroba avoiding his eyes, the room completely quiet. All of Aoba Johsai seemed to have gathered around the dance floor, anxiously awaiting their boss’ next move.

His gaze drifted back to the Libero whose face now had an almost amused quality to it, which Oikawa purposely ignored.

‘What did you do with it?’ Still dangerously calm. It is only a matter of time before he explodes, Iwa thought.

Silence.

‘Where is it?!’

Half of the other members winced at Oikawa’s loud voice booming through the club. The Libero, however, only smiled in return and gave the Grand King another moment of silence to fester in. ‘…I don’t know’, he finally stated very calmly. Oikawa’s hands started shaking ever so slightly and Iwaizumi had to suppress the urge to close his own around them to make them stop. But the master of the house had his own remedy and plastered a presumptuous smile on his face.

‘Very well then, Libero-chan. If talking isn’t your strength, we’ll have to try screaming instead.’

His smile never wavered which made the threat even more terrifying. Noya tried not to but couldn’t help but drop his confident façade as the brunette reached a hand out to another guard. Kuroba had disappointed him enough for one day and Oikawa was not going to give him the satisfaction of handing his superior his torture device. The other guard hesitated for a moment but eventually grabbed a launch baton from her upper leg and put it into her boss’ outstretched hand.

Iwaizumi was watching the exchange with a sceptical mien. Oikawa very rarely opted for such a radical approach and as his right hand, Iwa was always prepared to stop him if he went too far. The now activated aqua baton in his hand was screaming unreason but he couldn’t bring himself to object. Tooru’s well-being depended on that core making it to their supplier in one piece and if this rogue program had to suffer as a consequence, then Iwa would acquiesce.

The dagger somewhat restored Oikawa’s sense of power, allowing him to temporarily push down the fear constricting his chest. He lifted his chin into the air to bring even more distance between him and the Libero at his feet and held the glowing baton to the other’s neck.

‘You have no idea who you are stealing from, kid. You and everyone in your shabby barracks could suffer even greater pain if you fuck with these people. So, I will ask you one more time: where is it?’

His voice had come down to a whisper and Iwa was sure it had gone unheard by half of the room. Noya’s eyes dropped to the weapon mere inches away from his throat, then back to the cold glare of his capturer. The light tremor in Oikawa’s hand hadn’t gone unnoticed by the Libero and so he gambled that the wannabe King was putting everything on a bluff. He pondered over his next words carefully.

‘When you go tell your scary boss that you royally fucked up, tell him Karasuno’s Libero sends his best.’

Iwaizumi’s hand involuntarily formed a fist and if Oikawa hadn’t moved on his own, he was sure he would have derezzed the Libero where he knelt. Unfortunately for Noya, he wasn’t aware that the club master acted purely out of instinct and said instinct turned out to be his demise. He didn’t push it far enough to derezz him but the pained screams gave Oikawa the gratification he needed. Small particles of his electronic build trickled onto the floor as the Libero dug his fingers into his palms to try and numb the pain. His aching sounded more and more distorted as the baton reached further into his throat. Iwaizumi’s peripheral vision caught Kindaichi taking a protesting step forward which he halted by the simple raising of a hand. He couldn’t blame the kid. He hadn’t yet lived as many cycles as they had and his intentions were always fueled by compassion and goodwill. Yet he needed to learn that sometimes violence was necessary. At least when it came to ensuring all of their survival.

And survival was the only thing on Tooru’s mind. The stares of his entourage faded into the vastness of the Grid as he desperately tried to ban Tekkan’s hateful gaze from his thoughts. He wouldn’t let him hurt him again. He wouldn’t let him take away his club, whose members had ultimately become his family. He wouldn’t allow himself to be weak ever again. Noya started crumbling below him; the only reason he hadn’t yet collapsed onto the dance floor was the flashing baton keeping him in place. Oikawa pulled back for a second to crouch down and find the Libero’s gaze.

‘Where is the core?!’

He still yelled even though the club was more than quiet. The only response he got was a chillingly distorted laugh and it was enough to propel the dagger back into his throat. He was spinning out of control, Tooru knew that. He had been so distracted by Tekkan’s inescapable terror that he hadn’t even considered checking the Libero’s disk for memory fragments. But it was too late for that now anyway. Who was to say it was even still intact after having undergone such torture? Tooru’s brows suddenly furrowed as he focused on a particularly bright orange particle in the other’s damaged throat.

Why was he still doing this? There was nothing to gain from a program as stubborn as this, when it is in fact Tekkan who should have knelt at his feet and received the blow. His captive’s mind was now officially absent and Tooru nearly flinched at the twitching form before him.

‘Oikawa…’

He should stop this before he did any lasting damage. If he hadn’t done so already. Why couldn’t he just stop?

‘Oikawa!’

The shout ultimately made him remove the baton with shaking hands as he whipped around to shoot a mildly irritated glance at his aggressor.

‘What?!’

A thump to his left let him know that the Libero had finally slumped to the ground. What held the club master’s attention, however, was the blinding orange light hovering outside the wall of windows. All of Seijoh stood still in the face of this new challenger gradually approaching their territory. Oikawa’s face dropped when he finally recognized the threat as an armed aircraft about to make its move.

‘Oh…fuck.’

‘Get down!’

He only heard Iwaizumi’s cries over the deafening bombardment of their laser guns before being tackled to the ground and dragged behind one of the bars. Iwa hastily checked Tooru for any damage but didn’t allow himself to lose focus and crawled to the edge of their cover to check on the situation. The club had quickly become a battlefield: bottles exploding left and right, screams echoing through the room, which might have been Seijoh’s or their attacker’s, Iwa wasn’t sure. But what fuelled his adrenaline was the handful of derezzed, aqua-lit programs littering the dance floor. The fire kept on coming and he knew there was no fighting back like this. He looked to Tooru for help but he could see in his lover’s absent gaze that he was just as lost as him.

The whooshing sound of smoke grenades suddenly replaced the hammering of shots and Iwa knew this was their only chance of winning them over. Albeit that they would be going in half blind. He shot one last look at Tooru’s motionless form before dashing out into the fog. Oikawa couldn’t find the energy to move. They had already destroyed everything anyway. If Tekkan wouldn’t have derezzed him for losing the core, he definitely would at hearing the news of their biggest club having been overtaken by low lives. What was there left to do but sit there and wait for their inevitable demise?

‘Nishinoya-san!’

The calling of his captive’s name lifted the haze from his mind and sparked a familiar anger in his gut. Without much thought, he pushed himself off the floor and jumped over the bar to confront whoever had dared to pull him into this mess. The fog was thick but he could faintly make out a tall, orange program lifting the Libero into his arms but apparently struggling to do so. This was his window to strike. He marched over to their position, dagger still in hand, muffled sounds of fighting surrounding him, when something suddenly landed in his trajectory. The grey-haired program had taken a protective stance between him and his target and somehow Tooru found himself unable to move. The glare being sent his way was so full of hatred that Oikawa momentarily thought even Tekkan wouldn’t have managed to deliver as convincingly. The other had his orange disk in hand and with how poorly Oikawa was positioned, he could have easily taken him out. But he didn’t. He simply stared his opponent down, waiting for his fledglings to make it safely back onto the ship. A deep, unknown voice suddenly protruded from across the room, making both fighters momentarily break eye-contact.

‘Suga!’

He was being called to retreat. Oikawa could feel his hand itching to reach for his own disk and swing it at grey-hair-chan at the first chance he got. His opponent hesitated, though, his own hand slightly tapping his disk in thought. Maybe he was pondering whether he should eliminate the threat while he still could. But his eyes suddenly widened as two aqua lights emerged through the fog to stand by their boss’ side.

‘Suga, we gotta go!’

Another moment passed. He is either really brave or really stupid, Tooru thought, feeling the familiar presence of Iwaizumi at his back. With another threatening glare at Oikawa, the orange program dashed back into the thick smoke and disappeared from sight. Tooru had instantly dropped the baton and reached onto his back to grab his disk which shot into nothingness and came flying back into his hand without having hit its target. The humming buzz of the aircraft disappeared and as the smoke gradually cleared, the rest of Seijoh was left with the mess which used to be their pristine club. Oikawa involuntarily fell to his knees and crumbled under the fear once again. The last thing the citizens of the Grid heard from the prodigious Aoba Johsai, was the heart-wrenching scream of its master.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Voila chapter number 3! Hope you're enjoying it so far. Do let me know in the comments if you've got a minute to spare <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Crows have to help their Libero, Asahi and Noya are adorable
> 
> No Iwaoi in this one but there's more to come don't worry <3

Hinata’s orange blob of hair was bouncing around their living room in eager anticipation of their squad’s return. They had been unusually serious when they left and they hadn’t even taken their time to fill everyone in on what had gone wrong on Nishinoya-san’s mission. Tsukishima was at the back of the room, fixing some electrical contraption at his workbench and Yamaguchi was watching him with earnest interest. But even from that distance Hinata could tell that Tadashi was just as nervous as him; if his tapping index finger was any indication. A launch baton suddenly collided with Shouyou’s head and he could already feel the snarky comment protrude from the couch behind him.

‘Stop fidgeting, dumbass. You’re starting to make me anxious.’

He shot Kageyama a narrow-eyed glare and tossed the stick back in his direction with poor aim.

‘Well you better be! Noya-san could be in serious trouble and you’re just sitting there on your lazy backside not giving a damn!’

Kageyama’s face dropped even further and he was about to launch the tablet in his hand when Yamaguchi’s soft voice made them turn towards the green-haired boy now leaning against the workbench.

‘Suga-san’s eyes looked like they were gonna burn a hole in someone’s skull. I’ve never seen him this worked up.’ The mood dropped significantly as the gravity of the situation started settling.

‘Whatever happened to Nishinoya-san…it’s serious.’

Even Kageyama dropped his eyes to the ground in shame. The main room of Karasuno’s shared living space remained quiet as they collectively wondered what menace could have taken down their Libero. Only Tsukki seemed to be keeping his cool.

‘Whining isn’t gonna help anyone. Besides, it’s Noya. That guy can survive anything.’

As if on cue, the main door flew open and a distraught Asahi tumbled into the open space with a twitchy Noya in his arms. Someone would surely have commented on the bridal style pick-up if the situation hadn’t been as drastic. The youngsters instantly gravitated towards the bearded program in an attempt to help but Tanaka was quick to keep them at distance. Hinata’s eyes roamed the other’s body and could only stare at the countless cuts in his suit.

‘Tanaka-san, what…?’

Asahi and the rest filed through the living room in direction of Tsukishima’s lab. It was more of a tiny backroom meant for minor alterations but it would have to do.

‘Tsukki!’ Daichi’s commanding voice made the engineer rise form his workbench and disappear into the lab as well, leaving the three youngsters to wait in the unknown. They quickly cleared the main table of any obstructing items before laying the patient down on the black surface. ‘Hold him down’, Tsukki stated with a surprisingly calm voice. Noya’s body was still shaking uncontrollably and it took five programs to keep him somewhat still: Asahi and Suga had their hands pressed on his shoulders, while Tanaka, Ennoshita and Daichi were struggling to maintain a grip on his legs. The Libero’s absent eyes were still staring up at the ceiling and it sent shivers down Asahi’s spine. He wasn’t derezzed (yet) but the void look might as well have suggested he had passed on to the afterlife.

‘Give me his disk.’ The same level-headed commands were most admirable for someone who had another’s program’s life in their hands. While Asahi slightly lifted Noya’s upper body, Suga reached onto his back to hand the orange-glowing orb to their engineer who didn’t waste any time and activated it to locate the fault in the Libero’s code which was keeping him from regenerating. Tsukki had done it before, if only a handful of times, and the programs had always walked out of his workshop with their limbs fully regenerated. But having this rather complex hologram of Noya’s programming in front of him, plus the entire team depending on his steady hand to save their Libero was ultimately putting him on edge. His fingers danced across the hologram, switching from one area to the next, his eyes frantically scanning for the abnormality but it just wouldn’t reveal itself.

An abrupt twitch of the Libero’s arm made it collide with Asahi’s side and he could have sworn the hand was reaching for something. He didn’t hesitate and brought one of his own down to grab Noya’s hand as tightly as he could. The lifeless fingers weren’t helping his distress but he felt if he held on tightly enough, he would be able to keep their Libero from slipping away. He was not going to let him go this easily.

A trickling sound brought the team’s attention to Noya’s throat which only seemed to be dissipating further now that the disc had been taken out of the equation. ‘Tsukki…?’ Once those joints were disconnected, there would be very little even an advanced engineer could do to fix the damage. Suga tore his gaze away from his suffering fledgling as he looked to their technician with desperate eyes.

‘Tsukki, it’s getting worse! Please, just…’

His words got lost in the agonizing silence that surrounded them. There was nothing they could do but let Tsukishima do his work and pray and that he would succeed in time. Tanaka’s grip on the Libero’s upper leg loosened in defeat as he watched his best friend’s body twitching slowly subside, implying the inevitable. Tears burned in his hopeless eyes. ‘Guys…he’s—’

But Daichi wasn’t having it. His low commanding tone brought some life back into the almost life-less room.

‘No, he’s not! Tsukki!’

‘There!’

The engineer’s cry of victory came no moment too soon. He removed the teal abnormality from the code with a skill full hand and rushed back to his patient’s side. They put Noya up into a sitting position and with a final twist and click the disc was returned to its owner’s back. The Libero’s body went chillingly still, his head hanging limp from his shoulders and his eyes staring into his lap. All hope had almost left the room when the familiar sound of electrical buzzing emanated from Noya’s regenerating throat. Tanaka nearly collapsed from relief and Ennoshita had to support him by his shoulders to keep him upright, while Asahi and Suga had flung themselves around the Libero’s upper body in a crashing hug. Suga pretended to overlook the tight grip on Noya’s hair and the tears dropping onto his suit as Asahi held on for dear life.

He lifted his own teary gaze to Daichi who had his hand resting on their engineer’s shoulder in gratitude. He felt Suga’s eyes on him and offered him a weak smile which was momentarily returned before the grey-haired program’s mien turned serious. Daichi slowly nodded, knowing too well the message behind that look as he turned on his heel and exited the lab. Suga was always thinking ahead and he was grateful for that consistency, even if he would have preferred to sit back for a while and enjoy this victory. But he was right (as usual). They couldn’t tolerate this insolence.

Daichi and Suga spent the rest of the evening filling in their scared youngsters on Noya’s condition. Hinata had almost instantly broken into tears at the mention of his near-death situation but Suga was quick to comfort him and ensure them all that Noya was regenerating and was soon to be back on his feet. Tanaka and Asahi had offered to take turns in watching over the Libero as he recovered and Tsukki had been thankful to be granted some time off. Tanaka had just begun his second shift but his energy-deprived eyes were already threatening to close and send him off into greatly needed sleep. Asahi was watching him from the door with a weak smile gracing his features.

‘I can keep going, you know. If you’re too exhausted.’

Tanaka slightly knocked his fists to his head to stay awake, ultimately proving Asahi’s point and with another suggestive look form the bearded program, he lifted himself out of the chair and dragged himself towards the living room.

‘Fine. But I’m the first you call when he wakes up, yeah?’

‘Of course.’

Even the simple mention of Noya regaining consciousness made Asahi’s heart skip a beat. He couldn’t wait to see those attentive brown eyes again, and that face bubbling with energy. His smile slowly faded. He was both eager and scared of what Noya would have to report of the happenings in that club. He pulled the chair up closer to Noya’s resting form. The regeneration was still ongoing and Asahi found the buzz to be strangely calming. They had decided to close the Libero’s eyes to let it appear as though he was sleeping, mostly because the blank stare had made them all fairly uncomfortable.

Asahi folded his arms on the table and let his head rest on them as he watched the other’s relaxed face with loving eyes. Some of the dark-haired Libero’s blonde strands had fallen closer to his eye, so Asahi lifted a tentative hand to brush them away. He let his fingers rest there for a moment, the tips creating featherily light patterns on the other’s forehead and cheek.

_Oikawa Tooru._

That despicable name had crossed his mind more than he could count and every time it did it sent a burning rage through his entire body. He removed his hand to let it form a fist and rest next to the Libero’s head on the metal surface. How could someone look at Noya’s beautiful face and feel enough hatred to…do this? He wanted to understand that man’s actions so badly but with his luck he feared he never would. As long as they found a way to make him pay for having laid a finger on his Libero.

_His?_

Asahi’s face suddenly turned red at the thought. There wasn’t even anyone around but the idea of seeing Noya in that way was still overwhelming to him. Maybe one day he would find the courage to tell him. His own eyes were beginning to drop and with his head cushioned on his arms he allowed himself to rest for a moment; the buzzing in the background slowly drawing to a close.

Noya came back to reality far more abrupt than Asahi had anticipated. A sudden tap to his forearm made him shoot up in his seat and stare back at the wide-eyed Libero in front of him. Noya seemed to be slightly disoriented (who could blame him) so, Asahi scooted a bit closer to the table and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

‘Noya-san!’ He tried but couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice nor the beaming smile off his face. He was so glad to see him back “to his old self” that he was unsure what to ask him. ‘How – how are you feeling?’ Noya didn’t answer and looked around the room, still a bit puzzled. It was then that Asahi remembered the small vial Tsukki had left to give his patient once he had returned to consciousness. It was supposed to help your system get back on track. He wasn’t even sure if Noya had the strength to hold it by himself, so he hesitantly set it up to his lips. The other was still so out of it that he didn’t hesitate to down the strange liquid presented to him in one go. With new-found optimism that the drink would have brought the Libero to his senses, Asahi still awaited an answer from Noya who finally tried and managed to offer him a weak smile. It lit a familiar fire in Asahi’s heart and let his own grin grow even bigger. ‘Better?’

Noya opened his mouth, probably to shoot back a sarcastic retort, but his smile suddenly faded and his brow sunk deeper into his eyes. He closed his mouth and opened it again as if giving it a second attempt but again he only frowned and shut it again. The eyes that met his friend were no longer tired but scared and Asahi felt panic rise in him yet again.

‘What’s wrong?’

Noya lifted a shaky hand to his throat and reopened his lips only to mouth a response.

<< I can’t speak >>

He looked utterly terrified which was an expression he was certainly not used to from their Libero. Asahi’s eyes widened as the other’s words slowly sunk in. _Oh no._

‘Tsukishima!’

Noya’s breathing instantly picked up pace but Asahi quickly reached for his hand and instinctively enlaced their fingers in an attempt to calm him down.

‘Hey, don’t worry. You’ll be just fine. Tsukki will fix it.’

Little did the Libero know that inside Asahi was screaming: in frustration and at Tsukki whose face still hadn’t appeared through the door. Asahi could only imagine what downward spiraling thoughts were playing through Noya’s mind and the worst part was that there was nothing else he could do to make it better. The always chipper, always talkative Libero who couldn’t get a word out; irony at its best.

Finally, the black doors opened and a mildly irritated Tsukki entered the room. Irritated because only earlier, Daichi had officially given him the evening off and yet they still thought it necessary to order him around like a housemaid. But when his eyes fell on the distraught pair before him, he quickly forgot about his minor issues and cut straight to the point. ‘What is it? Did you give him the drink?’

Asahi faintly nodded and tried to get the words past the lump in his throat. ‘It’s—he… he can’t speak.’ Tsukki’s clear confusion only let both their stomachs drop further.

‘What? No, that can’t be…’

He circled around to the table and reclaimed Noya’s disc, who shuddered slightly for having it removed without a warning. The engineer stared at the orange disc for a good while, his mind still trying to work out the problem, before concluding it would require an undisturbed environment and making for the exit. Noya was about to protest if his voice had only let him, so Asahi did it for him.

‘Wait, what are you gonna—’

‘I need some peace and quiet to figure this out. Just stay here with him and keep him calm if you can.’

Noya felt panic rise in his chest. Tsukki was talking as though he wasn’t even in the room and it gave him the unnerving feeling that the technician was keeping the bad news to himself only to spare him the pain. ‘Hey.’ Asahi had moved himself in his eyeline. ‘You know how Tsukki is. He’s gonna be back here in less than a millicycle and get you back up and running.’

Of course, Noya wanted to believe him, he really did, but it was easier said than done. He closed his eyes, his chest still heaving. Asahi watched him in defeat and sighed, at loss of what to do, when the other’s eyes suddenly shot open and he gripped their still enlaced fingers tighter to get Asahi’s attention.

<< The core? >>

Asahi seemed to understand.

‘Don’t worry about that. As long as you are safe.’

Noya’s unconvinced frown almost made him laugh.

‘What?’

Noya signed a ball with his free hand and threw it over his shoulder. A few seconds passed as Asahi tried to decipher the pantomime.

‘You…threw it off somewhere?’

A quick nod. Then a one-handed steering wheel.

‘The Transporter?’

This earned him a quick succession of nods.

‘Where?’

He eyed the ceiling for a moment to think of the approximate location. Asahi felt his heart stutter at how intensely Noya then met his gaze to convey the message as clearly as he could.

<< Sukui Road. One block off Seijoh. >>

Asahi silently nodded and Noya almost smiled at the fact that the bearded program had understood all of that.

‘We’ll send someone to look for it, don’t worry. Your mission won’t have been for nothing.’

Thankfully, the Libero visibly relaxed at that, his head resting back onto the pillow placed there earlier by Tanaka while he had been recovering. He slowly ran his thumb over Asahi’s, who had almost forgotten they were still holding hands and now violently blushed at the realization. He didn’t move it, though and held Noya’s gaze in what started to feel like a staring contest. But the Libero’s eyes were incredibly soft and tired as he opened his mouth yet again.

<< Thank you. >>

His system nearly shut down but Asahi forced himself to stay with him and offer a shy grin.

‘Anytime…Yuu.’

An unexpected smile spread on Noya’s face at the mention of his first name and Asahi could have sworn seeing his cheeks turn pink ever so slightly. He then let his lids rest on his tired eyes as he attempted to get some sleep. Asahi could only pray that Tsukki would have a solution when he woke up. He brought their entangled hands to his face and let his mouth rest on what were definitely more Noya’s knuckles than his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are more than welcome! Let me know what you think <3 hope you like it so far


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seijoh is on their way to the Kanjiro base to receive their handler's judgment.

The journey to the Kanjiro base was not one Kunimi was particularly fond of. Miles and miles of empty Grid structures without any buildings to keep his exhausted mind awake. Not that he was the biggest fan of energetic, thrumming cities, but this was too much of the other extreme. Every now and then his lids drifted over his eyes and he had to give his head a curt shake to focus back on keeping the aircraft level. No one seemed to be complaining about his flying though so he took that as a sign that they weren’t about to crash onto the boring landscape. As a matter of fact, no one was commenting on anything. Their usually chipper group was uncharacteristically quiet even for Kunimi’s standards and it wasn’t like their boss was in any condition to lighten the mood. He flicked his eyes over to his passive co-pilot who had his empty gaze fixated on the horizon. If no one felt responsible for making conversation then he would just have to.

‘Oikawa’s been back there for a while now. You think he’s alright?’

Quiet.

‘…Kindaichi?’

The spiky-haired boy let out a low sigh.

‘I don’t know.’

Kunimi brought his eyes back to the glass wall before him and humourlessly chuckled to himself.

‘Well, you’re not alright.’

‘Yeah, no shit.’

Kunimi’s emotionless face showed the slightest bit of surprise as he shot his friend a wide-eyed glance. Kindaichi had instantly dropped his own gaze to the folded hands in his lap as he realized the brashness of his retort.

‘…Sorry’, he mumbled much to Kunimi’s indifference. His voice found some level of courage when he continued. ‘How is anyone supposed to be alright? Tekkan’s gonna kill us—’

‘No, he won’t.’ Kindaichi was always one to overreact and Kunimi’s brain was already wired to deal with it unconsciously. ‘He needs us, he needs the club. They can’t just wipe us off the board.’

Kindaichi huffed nervously and slightly shook his head.

‘You mean the now “non-existent” club? Yeah, I’m sure he’ll find great use for it.’

The new-found saltiness in the other’s voice was at least some distraction from the lifeless Grid ahead of him but it was starting to get on Kunimi’s nerves nonetheless.

‘Is there anything I can say to make you calm down?’

Kindaichi hadn’t even noticed that both his hands had formed fists. He refused to look at their pilot and stubbornly kept his eyes to the front.

‘No.’ Kunimi almost laughed at the evident tremor in his “determined” statement.

‘Good. The least you can do then is shut your trap until we get there.’

Kindaichi was quick to shoot an offended comment back at him because “how was he the one being blamed when Kunimi had started the conversation” and little did they know that it actually brought a smile to their superior’s face. Those two always managed to fight over the most mundane things. The smile was short-lived, however, and Iwaizumi’s face fell back into its grim demeanour. He had sat down on one of the benches running along the aircraft’s walls with his head hung between his shoulders and his eyes fixated on a metal bracelet in his hands. It had previously been stashed in a compartment in his suit, its lifeless form hidden from the world. But now that it had come in contact with Iwaizumi’s skin it glowed in the same aqua light as the rest of his suit. Oikawa had gifted it to him a few cycles ago and it was, to quote the King himself, “to show Iwa-chan how much I adore him!”. A huff and an eye-roll later, Iwaizumi had accepted the bracelet begrudgingly but had refused to wear it in public. One because he felt it made him appear less superior and second because who knew what Tekkan would say at their regular visits if one of his subordinates suddenly flashed a “bonding seal” in his face. Iwa thought it had been over the top and corny, which was Oikawa to the hilt after all. But every time he brushed his fingers over the smooth surface whenever he had a moment alone, he found that it calmed him down and allowed him to reflect on things in a clearer light. No surprise that this particular situation required a fair amount of reflecting.

It had taken Oikawa several millicycles to get up from his crouching position in the middle of the club’s rubble and even after he had managed to drag himself back to his quarters, he had set up camp in front of the wall of windows, staring out over the city, completely blocking out his surroundings. And now Iwaizumi was still separated from him by a metal door locked from the inside. The bracelet was a meagre replacement for Tooru’s skin and every moment that passed further spurred the need to touch his lover, to let him know he was not alone, that they would overcome this and build a better life somewhere off-Grid. If only it was enough to get through to him.

With their boss locked away, Iwa could feel that the team was getting anxious. As his right hand, it was his job to up the morale, to say anything to keep their minds from spiralling. The longer he thought about it, the more he realised that nothing he could say would be enough. Nothing would ease the fear of confrontation ahead of them. So, he decided to stay quiet. A blonde head of hair suddenly stepped into his field of vision.

‘Sir, we’re approaching the Kanjiro base. We should be setting down any moment now.’

Iwa gave a curt nod and moved to put the metal band back into the compartment covering his ribs. After a moment of consideration, he attached it to his right wrist instead.

‘Thank you, Yahaba-kun.’

The addressee didn’t move away though, so Iwaizumi lifted a tired brow at his subordinate. ‘Anything else?’

Yahaba wasn’t known for beating around the bush, especially when it came to raising concerns to his superiors. He slightly straightened his shoulders and nodded towards the corridor leading to the back of the aircraft.

‘Are you sure he’s coming? I’ve never seen him this broken down.’

Iwaizumi clenched his jaw at the comment but forced himself to keep his cool and slowly rose to his feet to brush past him towards the barricaded room. The mention of Oikawa’s current state of mind nearly made him break into angry tears but Iwa knew he couldn’t show emotion in times like these; for the team’s sake. ‘He’s coming’, he called over his shoulder decisively, ‘whether he’s ready or not.’

He had somehow managed to get Oikawa out of the aircraft and join their entourage which was heading up the large staircase to the base’s entrance. But he didn’t speak a word and only stared blankly ahead; a defeated veil hanging over his exhausted face. Every glance Iwaizumi stole from his lover’s lifeless form only dropped his heart lower into his stomach. The air was tense around them as the team silently trotted through the high gates. As they reached the main entrance, two guards blocked their path.

‘They stay here’, one of them said gruffly while motioning to the rest of the group. This made them even more restless than before and Iwaizumi furrowed his brows in confusion.

‘What? No, the other members have at least the right to hear the handler’s initial evaluation.’

The guard seemed indifferent to Iwaizumi’s declaration. ‘They stay here’, he grumbled and pointed upwards. ‘Orders from up high.’ A glance over his shoulder was enough to tell Iwaizumi that the others were officially starting to panic. He grabbed the already slightly shaking Kindaichi by the shoulder and forced a sincere smile onto his face.

‘Hey it’s alright. We won’t be long.’ He then turned to Kyoutani with a wink. ‘Try not to break anything too fancy.’ Some of them even chuckled at that and they all visibly relaxed, if only a little. Yahaba had slung his arm around Kyoutani’s shoulder, who looked mildly offended as the warning was clearly directed at him. ‘Don’t worry, boss’, the blonde said while leaning closer to the other’s ear and lovingly nudging him with his head. ‘I’ll keep him in check.’

Even Kindaichi had to smile and Iwaizumi saw it as his cue to release the boy’s shoulder. The other held his gaze, however, his mien serious again as he whispered low enough so the guards wouldn’t hear. ‘Please be careful.’ Iwa nodded in affirmation and turned back to Oikawa who had been completely absent during the conversation and was still staring at the ground. The guards stepped aside to allow the two of them passage into the great entrance hall and when Oikawa still didn’t move of his own accord, Iwaizumi put a gentle hand on his back to guide him towards the monster’s den.

The vast hallway looked as ridiculous as always and Iwaizumi was reminded yet again how much he hated these perfectly white walls. Their trademark impeccability screamed malice and even though it was big enough to hold their entire club, it felt as though the room was trying to suffocate them. Their slow steps reverberated off the hateful architecture, making the aqua-lit programs feel like two tiny blips of code in a never-ending matrix. Iwaizumi had taken his hand off Oikawa’s back and let it rest by his side as they were walking to not raise any suspicions of any prying eyes which might be watching. A sudden tug on his middle and index finger brought the smaller program to a halt. The movement was so hesitant and gentle that Iwaizumi might have missed it if he hadn’t lost sight of his partner in his peripheral vision. Oikawa slowly snaked his fingers tighter around Iwa’s while his eyes and mouth remained closed. Iwaizumi knew what turmoil was raging in the other’s mind and he would have done anything to make Oikawa share it with him; to show him he was not alone in this mess, that he would stand by him until the very end even if Tekkan derezzed the entire Grid around them. But Oikawa remained still.

He knew someone could be watching them, so Iwaizumi tried his best to make his movements look as platonic as possible. His free hand found a hold on the nape of the taller program’s neck and with a decisive look he forced Oikawa’s tired eyes to focus on his face. Iwaizumi only now noticed just how drained he looked. ‘Hey. We’re gonna be fine, ok? This is nothing we can’t handle.’ Iwa tried swallowing despite his restricting throat as he realised that “we” was more than incorrect. It would be Oikawa and Oikawa alone to endure their handler’s wrath.

The chocolate brown eyes gravitated back to the ground. ‘I promised.’ His voice sounded unbelievably small but the simple statement made Iwaizumi’s heart swell. He felt a sense of relief despite their unfortunate situation, that there was still a future waiting on the horizon and more importantly, that Tooru was willing to take that step with him. He curled his fingers further around his partner’s neck and let the tips caress the nape where small curls framed his smooth skin. The frail hand still holding onto his own gave it one final squeeze before letting go. Oikawa was far from being consoled but when Iwaizumi offered him a warm smile the other’s face looked somewhat more present than before. With their limbs returned to their respective owners, the aqua-lit programs continued their way into the enemy’s den.

The two guards framing the massive doors to Tekkan’s territory pushed them open to reveal the handler sitting on his ridiculously pompous chair at the back of the room, looking down on them with a faint smile. His tone was more chipper than usual and it made Iwaizumi’s skin crawl.

‘Afternoon, gentlemen. What a lovely surprise to be greeting you outside of business hours.’ Oikawa usually handled the talking, him being the boss and all, but Iwaizumi took the other’s silence as his cue to take over. He wanted to get the formalities out of the way as fast as possible and cut straight to the point. There was no reason to drag this out. ‘Tekkan-san, we hope to present the matter to you as truthfully and matter of fact as we can, he said in a level tone, ‘not as you might have heard it rumoured on the streets.’ The handler had got up from his make-shift throne and waltzed across the white-lit floor to plant himself in front of Oikawa’s crumbling form. He wasn’t even acknowledging Iwaizumi’s statement as he addressed Tooru in a low voice. ‘Is he talking for you now?’

Oikawa slightly flinched but kept his eyes to the ground. ‘Tekkan-san?’ The handler finally gave Iwaizumi a sliver of his attention and turned towards him; a forced smile on his face. ‘Of course. We will take our time to discuss everything as thoroughly as possible.’ Iwaizumi released a breath of relief. This was at least a step in the right direction. ‘Good. I thought we could –’ Tekkan suddenly invaded his space and stared him down with a smile now turned slightly sinister. ‘You can leave now.’

Iwaizumi’s throat closed up leaving his words hanging in the air. He wanted him to get out, so he could make Tooru his plaything in all privacy. No. Not this. Not again. He could explain everything, there was no need for Oikawa to suffer. ‘But you said –’, pushed past the lump constricting his throat; his eyes prickling with angry tears. But Tekkan had already turned back to Oikawa and let his disgusting eyes roam his lover’s body. ‘Well, we hardly need you for that conversation, do we?’ He shot a sly glance in Iwaizumi’s direction. ‘Unless you want to watch.’

If Iwaizumi had blood, he surely would have drawn the red liquid from his skin from how tightly he was digging his fingers into his palms. Bile rose in his throat and he was about to unleash cycles of built-up fury onto the monster before him, when a broken whisper made him freeze where he stood. ‘…it’s okay. Just…go.’ If that hadn’t been enough to break Iwaizumi’s heart in two, Tooru turned his tired head over his shoulder and forced a weak smile on his face; his teary eyes betraying his calm demeanour. ‘I’ll see you outside.’ A silent tear slipped down Hajime’s cheek as he stood defeated, staring at his lover at what seemed to be the end of all things. He had to do something. He couldn’t just abandon him. But then he was already being guided back to the corridor where he was doomed to replay the lasting image of Tekkan running an intrusive hand over Tooru’s lower back. He had always known that the handler was interested in more than Oikawa’s sense of leadership. And every time Oikawa had even flinched away from his touch, another scar was added to his now fragile back. Iwaizumi’s own back hit the wall where he slid to the ground and buried his wet face in his hands.

The loud bang of the doors slamming shut almost made Oikawa topple over. He hoped that Tekkan wasn’t noticing his shaking form. He was alone now. The only good thing about it was that Iwaizumi would be spared the pathetic sight of him being beaten into the ground. The handler’s fingers still lingered on his back, slowly sliding upwards to his disk and Oikawa tried his hardest to suppress every shudder threating to break free to prevent his punishment from getting any worse. ‘You’ve been a bit of a let down again, haven’t you, Tooru?’ The revolting sound of his given name on that snake’s tongue made his gut close up. Only Iwa-chan was allowed to call him that. ‘Let’s see for ourselves how much of a disappointment you’ve become.’

With a click, Tekkan removed the disk from Oikawa’s back and took a few paces away from him to analyse the other’s memory files. By then, Oikawa had fallen into a trance-like state: bringing up images of Iwaizumi smiling, laughing at one of his jokes, sleeping in his bed. It was all he could do, to let the good memories flood his mind and –

The sound of his own laughter froze his body as the horrific realisation hit him.

No.

Iwaizumi’s laughter followed suit.

They had always been so careful.

Tekkan slid his finger through the code to fast forward.

How could they have forgotten…to erase the files?

Oikawa’s widened eyes were fixed on the handler’s ridiculous throne while his own moans filled the hall. Iwa-chan’s heavy breathing would have been music to his ears but in that moment, it destroyed every glimmer of hope left in Oikawa’s being. A shivering hand enveloped his mouth as the recording of that afternoon continued on behind him. Tekkan hadn’t uttered a single word. He could only imagine the fury behind those despicable eyes as he quietly took in the two bodies clinging to each other on the hologram in front of him. Oikawa was desperately trying to breathe, his shoulders shaking with every attempt to fill his lungs and his trembling legs were threatening to give in as he gradually accepted that this was his end.

The recording suddenly cut off leaving both programs in threatening silence. Tekkan hadn’t even got to the Libero fiasco yet but Oikawa figured this was more than enough to fuel his destructive nature. With his fingers still hovering over his lips, he tried to calm his sporadic breathing; silence still engulfing him. He imagined Iwa-chan on the other side of the doors: a bright smile spread on his face and wrinkles forming around his beautiful eyes. If he gave up now, he would never get to see it again. He slowly let the hand drop from his face and hover in mid-air, not sure what to do to somehow fix this mess. ‘Tekkan-san…’ It was merely a hoarse whisper. He wasn’t sure the other could even hear him. ‘Please…I can explain.’ But it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.

Oikawa lost any earlier acquired air in one violent gasp as the sharp cut of a disk didn’t collide with his back but instead cut into his right knee. Pain rushed through his entire system. His left leg was still holding him up until Tekkan stepped onto it, forcing him to fall to the ground. ‘You would…dare’, he paused between the words to strike his disk into the already disintegrating area on Oikawa’s leg. ‘Failing Kanjiro beyond repair’, Tooru’s eyes started flickering in an aqua light, his hands clawing at the ground in agony, ‘losing the core, destroying my club’, a shrill scream tore from Oikawa’s lungs as the other’s foot stomped down on the lose particles which once made up his knee, ‘you would let yourself be taken by that vile low-life?’

Oikawa’s gritted teeth unclenched at the degrading term and despite the pain of his leg slowly derezzing, the former clubmaster somehow found the strength to turn onto his back and swing a kick at Tekkan’s side. But it was to no avail because the other’s unclouded mind, unlike his own, was quick to react and caught the limb mid-air, giving it a violent twist and throwing it back to the ground to join its twitching body.

The pain was more intense than anything Oikawa had ever felt and he could tell that his system was threatening to shut down any second. But the disturbing trickling from his knee was suddenly drowned by the sound of doors being ripped open and hurried footsteps running his way.

The heart-wrenching scream had pushed Iwaizumi off the ground and after he had managed to knock out both guards blocking his way, had driven him through the doors keeping him from his partner. But the horrific sight that greeted him, Tekkan stomping onto a quivering Oikawa below his feet, extinguished the small flame of hope burning inside his chest. The handler’s raging eyes found the intruder but rather than lash out at him, he simply removed his foot from the mass spread out on the ground and slowly walked back towards his chair. Iwaizumi didn’t hesitate and rushed over to Oikawa twitching on the cold floor, his right leg about to disintegrate from the knee down. He knew Tekkan was ruthless but this was…Tooru’s face was twisting in pain and small distorted whines escaped his mouth with every attempt to take a breath. Iwaizumi put his hands on Oikawa’s cheeks, desperately trying to ease the other’s agony. Oikawa’s flickering eyes found his own and something remotely resembling a smile crossed his features. ‘Iwa-chan…’

Hasty hands were slung under Tooru’s arms and lifted him into the air. He had to get Oikawa out of that place, as far away as possible. He would derezz anyone who tried to stop him. But Tekkan wasn’t making any move to do so. He merely threw a condescending glance over his shoulder at Iwaizumi slinging Tooru’s arm around his shoulder and desperately trying to drag him towards the exit. ‘I would certainly hope’, Iwaizumi lifted his head at the handler suddenly raising his voice,’ that his successor learns from his mistakes. I will be waiting.’ With that he disappeared through a door at the back of the room, leaving a devastated Iwaizumi abandoned in the great hall.

Successor? Did he honestly think they would let this slide? And…He threw a glance over Tooru’s withering body. Did he assume Oikawa would be replaced because he was beyond repair? He shook his head and forced his legs to pull Tooru further down the hall. No. He would make it. Iwaizumi only had to pray that the twitching body in his arms wasn’t ready to give out just yet and that there was still someone out there not under Kanjiro’s control who was willing to fix a broken king.


End file.
